After arriving in Melbourne as a refugee from Myanmar 11 years ago, the most important thing Jacob Thang brought with him was a strong sense of connection to his culture.
A figurehead of the Chin community, Mr Chang has been recognised with the Leadership Award at the 2023 Victorian Refugee Awards for his tireless work to support people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and refugee-like backgrounds, as well those in Myanmar.
Mr Chang said he is grateful for the award, sharing that he would not be himself without his community.
“Leadership is not about power, it’s about responsibility. It’s not about being the best, it’s about making everyone better,” he said.
“I want to preserve my culture and show how it’s important for the next generation. It’s important for me and for the community to remember where we came from.”
Mr Chang is the founder of Chin Myanmar Community Care as well as running a candle making factory and a a successful landscaping company employing people from the Chin community, all of which are in Sunshine North.
“As a refugee we have struggled through a lot in the past and in our journey to Australia. Our heart and our mind is in our community back home,” he said.
“I want to stand up for my community and help them to strive, and to show how we can be better citizens for Australia.”
Hannah Hammoud
